


Braver Than You Think

by omens_of_221B



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Era, I Love the Losers Club (IT), Losers Club (IT) Friendship, M/M, Teenage Losers Club (IT)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omens_of_221B/pseuds/omens_of_221B
Summary: Edward 'Eddie' Kaspbrak is a naive boy who doesn't like to get dirty. He thinks of himself as a coward, but he is told otherwise when he discovers a familial secret. He meets new friends that help him realize that he is truly braver than he thinks he is.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom & Beverly Marsh, Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Kudos: 7





	Braver Than You Think

The weather in central London was never quite pleasant, but the strong, harsh slapping of raindrops was sure to continue throughout the night. The thumping on Eddie's window kept him awake for a good portion of the night.

On the seventh day of July, Edward Kaspbrak woke up stubbornly to an obnoxious, louder knocking on his window. That night, he lay expecting only a pleasant breeze, but London's weather was sometimes unpredictable.

Assuming it was still the ruthless rain, one could imagine how startled he was when what he recognized as a barn owl stood perched on his windowsill, raindrops slipping down it's brown feathers, making it look dewy. He had looked at the owl weirdly, brows furrowed. The owl cocked its head and poked at the window fiercely. Was that a normal way for an owl to behave?

Eddie had noticed yet another peculiar thing about the fluttering owl; it held a letter, rolled up like a scroll, on a twine string attached to it's leg. Nevertheless, the parchment looked dry instead of droopy and soggy. The owl held out its leg and kept knocking at the window. It had reminded Eddie of a carrier pigeon.

Eddie thought it was strange. He would never have imagined this happening to him. However, while curious, he was smart. Even at the ripe age of eleven years old, his mother taught him to question anything and everything before he chose to act. And so he chose to ignore the owl.

The next night, however, was warmer. The air was moist, and it felt more like supposed summer weather.

Eddie lay, sweaty and frustrated, turned on the lamp on his nightstand to get up. He cringed at the sudden exposure of bright light, but we went to open his window. The moment he opened his curtains, though, he let out a sharp squeak.

The barn owl from the previous night was fluttering midair, looking at Eddie with it's big, beady eyes. Eddie was beginning to think that the owl looked more eerie than anything.

Eddie, though young, never followed his heart. He didn't believe in following instincts; that seemed foolish and would surely lead to one's own demise. He always thought things through and used his brain before anything, but now, he felt compelled to let the owl in.

The owl flew into his room with one swoop. It sat on his dresser, and Eddie cringed, hoping that there wouldn't be any scratches on the polished wood. His mother would surely notice.

The creature stared at him. Eddie assumed that it was the appropriate time to approach the owl. He did so, scared, and the owl held out it's leg in response. Eddie untied the twine quickly and sat back on his bed, no longer tucked tight and neat, but rather hot and uncomfortable.

The letter was prim and crisp, written with an emerald coloured ink. Eddie read in disbelief.

***

Mr. Edward Kaspbrak

1137 Grey Avenue

Stepney, London

Dear Mr. Kaspbrak,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl no later than July 31st.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

(Order of Merlin, First Class, International Confed. of Wizards)

***

Eddie's eyes were blown open, his jaw slack and mouth wide open in shock. After a few seconds, he scrunched up his nose in confusion, squinting as though he'd be able to read something different. He kept looking from the owl to the letter in little jerks of his neck.

"No fucking way," he had exclaimed as gobsmacked as he could in his whispered tone. He observed the strange list attached to the letter. Quills and robes? Dragon scales and cauldrons? Where in the world would he find those?

He looked at his clock, the ticking being the only noise in the room. The owl remained silent as Eddie held his breath.

It was exactly thirteen minutes past two o'clock in the morning. Eddie was tired, confused, and almost excited.

The owl left after a while, seemingly irate. Eddie didn't bother to question it.

He stuffed the letter under the lamp on his dresser. He would surely reread the letter tomorrow, and then probably on the overmorrow, still trying to understand what it all meant.

_________

Eddie groaned. The sunlight peered into his bedroom onto clean, wooden floor and bland blue paint, while Eddie rubbed the sleep from his eyes the best he could. His mouth felt dry and he felt sweaty. He didn't like it one bit.

He chose some clothing to accommodate the weather, and went to shower. The moment we walked into his washroom, though, he let out a shrill breath that almost sounded like a scream. His mother hadn't heard, he was sure. He was upstairs while his mother was surely in their living room. He looked into the mirror and almost cried.

His hair was purple.

His usual plain, brown hair became a purple, almost magenta colour, without any explanation. He gasped, and then his lungs felt empty. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. His breathing stuttered and he used the inhaler in his washroom to try and calm himself down.

How in the world was he supposed to explain this, of all things, to his mother?

While Eddie loved his mother, he knew that Sonia Kaspbrak would never accept anything close to how he looked at the moment. She wouldn't dare accept anything unruly and untidy in her home. And on her son! No, that would never happen. That would be far too inappropriate, thank you very much. There was no way to bribe Mrs. Kaspbrak into letting Eddie leave the house the way he was then and there - what would the neighbors think of that? No, no, Eddie would be scolded before he even finished walking down the stairs.

Eddie tried not to panic, and went into the shower. He never liked germs, so he always cleaned his body thoroughly, thus always smelling like mint. Then, however, he was sure he spent an extra ten minutes scrubbing his hair with full force. No colour even close to what he saw was on his palms or in-between his fingernails. He simply wished for the best.

He dried and clothed himself, refusing to face the mirror, and spoke aloud in a whisper, praying to a deity he didn't believe in to wish his woes away. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky.

When he turned around, he saw that his hair was even brighter, even more of a shiny violet than before. This time, he let himself yell.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Eddie's mother could hear any words of distress that her son spoke from miles away. While moments ago she was lounging in the living room, probably watching a soap opera, she ignored her usual waddle and almost sprinted up the stairs.

She opened the washroom door hurriedly and gasped loudly. She thought that maybe her son had slipped, or maybe accidentally cut himself, but what she saw was far worse.

"No, no, no no no! Not now!" Mrs. Kaspbrak hollered. Eddie didn't even understand what she was implying, but he was just as shocked as his mother.

Mrs. Kaspbrak groaned with so much frustration that Eddie almost thought that he would be in trouble.

"Mommy, it's not my fault, I promise! I just, I just woke up like this! Mommy, I didn't do it!" Eddie was obviously panicking, but his mother did nothing but look at him with a slack jaw that pushed back her chubby neck.

"Eddie bear, that's nothing! It's going to be all right," she insisted, just as unconvinced as Eddie. He stared at her.

"Mommy, what's going on?"

Mrs. Kaspbrak inhaled deeply, almost angrily, and huffed. "Come down."

Eddie didn't dare say no, nodding without a second thought.

The sound of the creaking stairs seemed to be amplified incredibly because of the tension. Mrs. Kaspbrak sat down in her usual chair, while Eddie was barely sitting on the couch. Eddie's mother inhaled and exhaled slowly, eyes closed, until she looked at Eddie.

"Eddie dear, you're very delicate, you know?" Mrs. Kaspbrak almost whispered. Eddie nodded. Mrs. Kaspbrak continued.

"This doesn't matter. You're a special boy, you aren't like the other children. You can get sick. You're just sick."

Eddie began crying again.

"Mommy, am I sick? I don't want to be sick!" Sonia shook her head slowly, her lips pressed in a flat line.

“Baby. Did you get a letter?” Mrs. Kaspbrak looked at him intensely, ignoring his question. Eddie gulped.

“I did, I did, what is it?” Eddie asked, unconsciously running a hand through his hair.

"It's nothing important. Go fetch it for me, won't you?"

Eddie nodded with vigour, skipping up the stairs as quickly as he could. He felt breathless once he reached his bedroom, lifting the lamp on his dresser and ripping the letter and it's list from underneath it.

He brought it back to his mother with exceptional speed, almost tripping as he held the railing of the stairs while making a sharp turn into the parlor, and sat on his couch harshly. He handed the letter to his mother, her chubby fingers pressing into the parchment a bit too hard.

Mrs. Kaspbrak looked at only the crest pressed into the broken wax seal that held the letter closed. She sneered.

And then she ripped the letter in half. Eddie gasped.

"Mommy, why did you do that?!" Eddie exclaimed with surprise. Mrs. Kaspbrak simply closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Eddie-bear, this isn't a very appropriate letter. Don't think twice about it," Mrs. Kaspbrak advised solemnly. Eddie's lip trembled as he stuttered.

"No, mommy, I- I don't know what this is! Tell me!"

Mrs. Kaspbrak shook her head.

"Not necessary, dear," Mrs. Kaspbrak looked down at her son sternly. Eddie knew not to argue. He looked down to his feet and said nothing, eyes still red and puffy.

"You should go back to sleep, Eddie-bear. You'll feel better after a nice nap." Mrs. Kaspbrak said. Eddie nodded, sitting up slowly and once again making his way to the stairs. However, before he began going up the stairs, his mother piped up.

"Don't forget to take your medication, Eddie baby. Take some medicine too, to help get rid of your sickness."

Eddie nodded and made his way to the kitchen.


End file.
